1. Field of the Invention
The invention discloses a harness and restraining device for transporting at least one animal in a vehicle.
2. Prior Art
Nearly everyone who has seen a dog riding unrestrained in the back of a pickup truck has experienced an uneasy feeling with regard to the animal""s safety. The sight of a dog wearing a choke collar and restrained to the bed of a pickup truck by means of a leash, a rope or a similar tether is even more troubling. In order to provide means for more safely transporting dogs in a vehicle, a number of prior art devices have been disclosed.
Giroux, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,562 discloses a pet restraint comprising a harness adapted for attachment to a seat belt. A first connector portion of the harness has a male clip thereon adapted to receive and matingly engage the female fitting on the end of a seat belt. A second connector portion of the harness has a female fitting thereon adapted to receive and matingly engage the male fitting on the seat belt. The harness, with the animal attached thereto, becomes, in effect, a link between the left and right straps of the seat belt thereby restraining the animal.
Holt, Jr., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,335, discloses a harness for attachment to a dog which includes a loop through which a seat belt may be passed and securely fastened thereby anchoring the dog to the seat belt. Many other harnesses are disclosed in the prior art. Representative of such harnesses are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,970,991; 5,893,339; 5,492,084 and 4,060,056. None of the above prior art devices is suitable for safely restraining a dog in the bed of a pickup truck.
Luce, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,991, discloses an animal restraining device which may be used for safely restraining a single dog in the bed of a pickup truck. The device consists of a harness having an attachment loop thereon and either one or two straps which may be passed through the loop. When the ends of the strap(s) are attached to opposing sides of the bed of the truck, the dog is restrained therein. The strap(s) are adjustable in length to adapt to both full sized and compact truck beds. In the device having a single strap, the animal is permitted considerable movement but may, in the extreme extent of range, project a portion of its body, namely its head, over the side of the truck and thereby be exposed to possible traumatic injury. When two straps are used, the animal has a extremely restricted range of motion which may lead to discomfort.
Thus, while prior art attempts to provide safe, humane restraints for pets traveling in a vehicle have met with limited success, there remains a need for a restraint which provides a generous range of motion for the animal while protecting the animal from traumatic and/or self injury while riding in a truck bed.
It is a primary object of the invention to provide a device operable for restraining a animal in a vehicle.
It is another object of the invention to provide a dog harness which is adapted to be attached to a seat belt, a leash and/or a four-point tie-down animal restraining device.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a four-point restraining device adapted to be mounted within a truck bed or similar conveyance.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a harness which is adapted to be releasably attached to both a seat belt and a four-point tie-down restraining device.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a four-point restraining device which is adapted to restrain two animals within the bed of a truck.
While providing a harness and a four-point restraining device meeting the above-stated objectives is the principle purpose of the present invention, it is an overall objective of the present invention to provide a means for safely restraining an animal either inside a vehicle or in the bed of a truck. The harness, which will be described below, may be used with a leash, a seat belt and a four-point tie-down animal restraining device as described herein, while providing the animal with a range of motion consistent with safety and comfort.
The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. However the invention itself, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: